Water-tube boiler



Jan. 24, 1 939. c. P. BUTLER WATER TUBE BOILER Filed May 11, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

m %m w w u m M 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Jan. 24, 1939. c. P. BUTLER WATER TUBE BOILER Filed May 11, 1936' \\||.||l,| I ll lllllllllllllllllllllllllll lfiii lll ll i M mm f:

Carl PastBui/er BY 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 c. P. BUTLER WATER TUBE BOILER Filed May 11, 1936 INVENTOR. Carl Post Butler BY i [a z I I .i

- ATTORNEY.

' Jan. 24, 1939.

c. P. BUTLE R WATER TUBE BQILER Filed ma 11, 1936 5 Sheets-sheaf, 4

[Ill i a n I h 5 mm, 66 I II in",

@H v m INVENTOR. Car PostBuiler BY M ATTORNEY.

Jan. 24, 1939.. c. P. BUTLER 2,144,792 7 WATER TUBE BOILER Filed May 11, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

CarlPosi'Buzler Y ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 24, 1939 UNITED STATES PAT NT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates generally to water-tube boilers, and more specifically to a water-tube boiler for domestic or industrial use and manufactured of drawn pure copper at all water contacting parts.

The main object of the invention resides in the provision of a water-tube boiler of approximately the same size as the old-fashioned cast iron water heater having from 8 to 9 feet of radiation surface in its fire box, and being approximately 66 inches in height; the difierence between the old fashioned water-heater and the present construction however, residing in the increase of the radiation surface and increase in the strength of the construction to withstand a pressure several times that which the known heaters under normal conditions are called upon to withstand. g Y

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a construction which is convertible from a water boiler to a steam boiler by converting the top hot water chamber to a steam chamber.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a water-tube boiler which is capable of utilizing fuel oil, fuel gas and coal as the combustion element.

Another object of the invention resides in the production of a sturdy, compact and durable water-tube boiler, the parts of which are capable of testing before assemblage, and the parts of which are easily accessible for cleaning and repair purposes after assemblage.

These objects and other incidental ends and advantages of the invention will hereinafter be set forth in the progress of the disclosure and as pointed out in the appended claims.

Accompanying this specification are drawings showing a preferred form of the invention together with modifications thereof in the utilization of oil, gas and cm] as fuel and in the con.- version from a hot water boiler to a steam boiler, corresponding reference characters designating corresponding parts throughout the several views of the said drawings. 1

In accordance with the drawings:-

Figure 1 representsa central vertical section of a water-tube boiler adapted to utilize oil as fuel.

Figure 2 is .a transverse section of Figure 1 along the plane 22 thereof, the batteries of pipes, fins and lower trough cover only being shown.

:Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view through the lower trough, showing the extended legs of the intermediate battery of pipes.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional View of Figure 5 through the plane 44 thereof, showing a smoke or flue pipe within a water jacket. 5

Figure 5 is a side elevation of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is aplan View of one of the fins shown in Figure 1, partly broken away.

Figure '7 is a fragmentary side elevation of the said fin as brazed to a tube of the innermost battery. i

Figure 8 is a central vertical section of a steam boiler utilizing coal as fuel, and embodying the principles of the invention.

Figure 9 is a transverse sectional view of Fig- 15 ure 8 through the planes 99-9, not showing however, the insulated shell therefor.

Figure lO-is a front elevational viewof Figure 8.

Figure 11 is a central vertical section of a hot water boiler similar to Figure 1, except that the hot water chamber is in the form of a hot water tank and that the fuel utilized is gas.

Figure 12 is a transverse sectional View of the intermediate portion of the said tank showing vertically disposed corrugations. 25

Figure 13 is a fragmentary elevation of the upper portion of the said tank showing an uncorrugated reduced end thereof.

Figure 14 is a top plan View of the gas burner showing a series of radiating jets adapted to be 30 in alignment with the bottom surfaces of the several fins within the boiler of Figure 11.

In accordance with the invention, Figures 1 to 7' inclusive, depict a preferred form of a watertubeboil-er utilizing oil as fuel and adapted to function as a water heater. The said water-tube boiler may be utilized as a steam boiler by shortening the lower limits of fins 24 so that the distancefrom the combustion chamber or burner 23' is increased to the point marked A on Figure 1, and in addition by enlarging the size of the hot water chamber 28 tothat shown in Figure 8. Furthermore, the same construction for both hot water heating and steam generating purposes may be heated by gas fuel by lowering the lower wall of fins 24 to the level marked B on Figure 1. The construction of Figure 1 preferably has 'an approximate height of 66 inches. The cast iron base 2| is 12 inchesin height, the intake water trough I1 is 6 inches in height, the batteries of water risers or pipes I2, l3 and M are 36 inches in' height, while the upper arch 26 forming the hot 'water or steam chamber, is 12 inches in height;

More specifically Cali described, the water-tube boiler comprises an upper and lower cover member I and II being in the form of a ring and preferably being made of inch copper. Covers I0 and II are provided with aligned and concentrically arranged openings, into which are brazed 3 circular batteries of copper pipes I2, I3 and I4, respectively. The innermost battery of pipes or water risers I2 are preferably of the inch standard size, the intermediate battery of pipes I3 are preferably of the inch standard size, while the outermost battery of pipes I4 are preferably of the 1 inch standard size. Each battery of pipes and the individual pipes are sufficiently spaced apart to allow for the insertion of a brush for cleaning the external surfaoes-of the said pipes. Pipes I 2, I 3 and Marc preferably 36 inches long with the exception of preferably the alternate pipes of theintermediate battery I3, which are adapted to extend below cover member II as indicated by numeral I5 to the bottom of the water trough I Lethe-latter being preferably and approximately 6 inches in height. The extensions I5 are provided withorifices I6 to bring about a circulation of water with the water of trough I1, and serve as'the supporting means for the water risers.

The trough I! is preferably made of inch copper U-shapedin profile and preferably hammered out of a 4 inch pipe,the said trough I! having a central opening or flue passage I8, and being about 6 inches in height.

Numerals I9 and represent 1% inch water pipes preferably made of brass-for supplying and draining the water in the-trough I'I, while I9 represents a valve to control the flow of water through the inlet pipe I 9wto the-trough I I.

The water-tube boiler base 2 I .is made of castiron of standard design tandis provided :with a rectangular plate 22 vhaving. an opening therein 23 for the insertion of an oil b1-1rner -23.' from:feeds36. Within the interior of basej2l 1isrthe :combustion chamber which communicates with the flue chamber I8 formed by theinnerwalls of-trough II. Trough I'I rests on base -2I,-.while:extensions I5 rest on the botto-mwall-of trough I'I. Thus-a firm support is given to the superposing structure.

The inner battery of pipes I 2 are provided-with vertically extending copper water chambers or fins 24. These fins '24 preferably communicate with alternate pipes of theinnermost battery I2 extending forwardly and radially to form :a .circular and vertical flue chamber at their inner edges as best shown in .Figure 2. The .top Walls 24 of fins 24 incline upwardly from their'forward edges while the lower walls -.2'4thereof incline downwardly from their forwardedges, the said fins diverging outwardly :from their inner edges.

The upper walls of fins 24 are spaced slightly below the upper cover member I0 while the lower walls .24" are spaced substantially above-cover member II.

25 represents a dish-shaped dome preferably made of inch sheet copper and connected as by brazing to the innerperipheryof upper cover member I0. Spaced from dome 25 is an outer dome 26 connected as by brazing'to theouter periphery of upper cover member IILthe intervening space between domes 25 and.26 afiordinga hot water or steam chamber 28. Extending rearwardly from dome 25 and penetrating chamber 28 and dome 26 is a flue pipe-.29 which is adapted to be connected to a .fluerelbow outlet 38 while a brass 1 /2 inch outlet water pipe 21 leads t0:a copper lined hot water tank.

The outer battery of pipes I4 is provided with a metallic shell 3| having a non-conducting lining 32, the said shell being suspended from the dome member 26 by means of an angle iron hoop 30 supported at the lower edges thereof. Another angle iron hoop 33, if preferred, surrounds water trough I'I above aligned pipes I9 and 20, the said shell 3I being afiixed thereto at the lower edges by means of rivets 34.

The outer shell 3I may have securing bands 36 and 31 therearound as shown in Figure 5 with standard tightening buckles 36 and 31'. Thus shell 3I along its vertical seam may be opened and closed for cleaning the water risers and fins.

It willbe seen that the radiation or heat transfer surface is vertically disposed thereby lessening the extent of flue deposits thereon and that theamount of heat transfer surface is of a magnitude several fold that of the standard boilers of even greater size.

From flue 29 an elbow 38 leads to a water heating twin smoke pipe comprised of 2 corrugated copper pipes 4| and 42. These copper pipes are enclosed within a copper metallic jacket 43 having an outer non-conducting lining 44. Jacket 43 is provided with a top and bottom wall, a water inlet 50 and a water outlet 5|. The outlet pipe 42 is connected by means of smoke pipe 40 at the top wall of jacket 43, and proceeds to the chimney. Jacket 43 is mounted on an angle iron stand having transverse supports between pipes and 42, the said supports not being shown in the drawings. Connected to the pipes M and 42 at the bottom wall of jacket 43 is a U-shaped sheet iron elbow 39. Angle ironstand 45- is provided with legs 46 and 41, the said legs threadedly engaging with threaded posts 41 and 48, the latterbeing aflixed to the base by means of securing plates .53 and The water risers, fins, trough and hot water chamber are tested to withstand at least .300 pounds working pressure. Water jacket '43 vis adapted to heat water independently of the water-tube boiler.

As has before been mentioned, by raisingthe lower .walls of fins 24 to the level marked A on Figure :1 and increasing the size of chamber 28, the water-tube boiler above described can be converted to a steamgeneratingboiler. By lowering the walls of fins 24 to the level, marked B on Figure land keeping them on the plane of the horizontaLthe hot water boiler may utilizegas as a fuel.

Figures 8, 9 and 10 depict a steam-boiler operated by coal, utilizing at the same time the principles of the heat-transfer surface unitshown in Figures 1-7 inclusive. Numerals .54 and represent the upper and lower cover members the forward segments thereof being perforated differently from cover members I0 and II. The said segments are provided with spaced and irregularly shaped elliptic openings to accommodate frame water risers I5 and I6 inaddition to the outwardly and rearwardly disposed batteries of pipes 56, 51 and 58 corresponding thereat to batteries I2, I3 and I4. The intermediate battery 3 51 is provided with extensions 59 having perforations 60 to communicate with the water trough SI. Water trough BI is in the form of a horseshoe having its front opposing end walls juxtaposed and brazed to the outer lateral limits of frame water risers I5 and I6 asshown in Figure 8, risers I5 and I6 communicating with trough BI by means of openings 18 and TI. Trough BI and risers I5 and 76 are supported by a base having theusual or standard swivel door 66 with the automatic draft door 66 in the ash pit opening with the standard rocking grate and grate shaker I5. Numeral 62 represents an open space above the grate which is covered by a clinker door 81 mounted on the frame water risers I and I6. A copper water box 88 having open side walls and communicatively brazed to risers I5 and I6 extends from cover member 55 upwardly, the said water box being preferably of inch copper inches wide, 16 inches high and 4 inches thick. Water box 80, it is seen, serves as a water riser, and is capable of withstanding a pressure of 150 pounds working pressure. Coal door 86 about 10 inches high and 10 inches wide situated above the top wall of water box 88 is mounted on the frame water risers I5 and "I6 in similar fashion to clinker door 81 as shown in Figure 10. Above the upper edge of coal door 86 is another water box 79 brazed into frame water risers I5 and I6, the said water box extending from below cover member 54.

The innermost battery of pipes 56 is alternately provided with fins 61 similar to fins 24 of Figure 1 except that the lower walls of said fins are flat and terminate at the level of the lower wall of water box 19 as shown in Figure 8.

Numerals 63 and 64 represent the corresponding inlet and drain pipes, 63 being a valve for the inlet pipe 63, while 68 is the inner dome exposed to the flue gases at I8 which together with outer dome 8! furnishes the steam chamber 69. Inner dome 68 is brazed to the inner periphery of cover member 54 while the outer dome 8I is razed to the outer periphery of cover member 54. Pipe Ila represents the outlet for the flue gases and connects with the water jacket I2 through corrugated pipes I3 and 14 as heretofore described in connection with the structure shown in Figure 1. Numeral 83 represents a standard steam gauge, 85 a typical water gauge and 84 a steam outlet. An angle iron hoop I I afiixed to the lower limit of outer dome 8| carries a shell 12' having a non-conducting lining I3, the lower portion of the shell being affixed to an angle iron hoop I4 supported by aligned pipes 63 and 64. Outer dome 8! is provided with a non-conducting surface 82. The shell I2 and insulation I3 are preferably pierced with two 1 inch holes 12a and 13a at 18 inches from the bottom and 28 inches from the bottom in order to furnish enough air for the combustion of fuel when all the doors are shut.

It is to be observed that cover members I8 and I I of Figure 1 and 54 and 55 of Figure 8 may have their inner and outer peripheries turned. Thus, the inner and outer peripheries of I8 and 54 are turned upwardly 90 degrees, while the peripheries of II and 55 are turned downwardly 90 degrees. Such conformation aids in the proper brazing of joints.

Figures l1, 12, 13 and 14 depict a water-tube boiler wherein the hot water chamber or steam chest is in the form of a storage tank, the said boiler being heated by gas fuel and wherein a flue jacket is provided instead of a narrow and vertical flue duct. Of course, the same construction is capable of utilizing oil as fuel by upwardly inclining and slightly raising the bottom walls of fins 95. In addition, the same construction is capable of acting with a smaller upper hot water chamber in conjunction with an external water tank.

In Figures 11-14, 95 and 98 are the cover members perforated as I8 and II, while 9I, 92 and 94 are the concentric batteries of pipes, 89 the lower water trough, 93 extensions of the intermediate battery of pipes with circulating holes therein, 95 the fins on the innermost battery of pipes having upper inclined walls 95' and lower straight walls 95", the said lower walls being situated directly above cover member 98. 98 is a corrugated hot water tank having alower' and reduced non-corrugated portion 91 connected to the outer periphery of cover member 96 and an upper and reduced non-corrugated portion 99 connected to a dome member I8I. Numerals I83, and I82 are the inlet and drain to trough 89 while I84 is a standard valve for inlet I83. I85 is a base plate supported by legs II9 onwhich trough 89 is supported and through which a gas burner I I 6 passes, the said gas burner having jets radially disposed as indicated by I I4 in Figure 14 and having a central opening II5. The jets are adapted to lie along the lower walls 95" of fins 95. Numeral I I I represents the feed for the gas burner, the gas burner being provided with regular safety controls and valves.

Numeral I86 represents a shell spaced from tank 98 and trough 89 and serves as the outer limit of a fluechamber. The said shell rests on base plate I85 and has a top wall I86. An external shell I88 with a non-conducting lining I8! is adapted to surround the inner shell I86, the latter being maintained in place by flange I85 at the periphery of base I85 and by a circular angle iron I89 at the upper edge, the said angle iron resting on top wall I86 of shell I86. Numeral H8 represents a distribution hot water pipe while III is a flue pipe having a conical draft diverter II2.

Thus the constructions shown in Figures 1-14 utilize a system of water risers having a maximum amount of a heat transfer surface for the size of the unit, the said amount approaching 80 square feet. The unit is compact, accessible for cleaning and repairs, durable and a fuel saver,v

the saving in the fuel being in the proportion to the increase of heat transfer surface.

I wish it understood that minor changes and variations in the size, shape, material, integration, location and subcombination of the several parts may all be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention and without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a water-tube boiler having a combustion chamber base, an inlet water trough having a central opening, the said trough being proximate to and supported on the said combustion chamber base, a plurality of spaced vertically extending water-chambers communicating with the said inlet water trough, a perforated cover member for the said water trough to which the said water-chambers at their lower ends are affixed, certain Water chambers extending through the said cover member and resting on the bottom of the water trough and being perforated within the region of the said trough, a duplicate upper perforated cover member to which the said water chambers at their upper ends are affixed, a hot water chamber mounted on the said upper cover and in communication with the said water chambers, a shell to prevent the escape and direct the flow of the hot flue gases.

2. A water-tube boiler set on a combustion chamber and having an inlet water trough having a central opening, the said trough being proximate to and supported by the said combustion chamber, a plurality of adjacent sets of water tubes concentrically arranged, the said water-tubes being-spaced and increasing in ditermediate set extending through the said cover 'member and resting on the bottom of the water trough and being perforated Within the region of the said trough, a duplicate upper perforated cover member to which the said water-tubes at their upper ends are affixed at hot Water chamber mounted on the said upper cover and in communication with the said water tubes, and a shell surrounding the outermost set of water tubes.

3. A water-tube boiler having a combustion chamber, an inlet water trough having a central opening, the said trough being proximate to and supported by the said combustion chamber, a plurality of adjacent sets of water-tubes concentrically arranged, the said water-tubes being spaced and increasing in diameter from the innermost to the outermost set and communicating with the said inlet trough, a perforated cover member for thesaid water trough to which the said water tubes at their lower ends are affixed, tubes from an intermediate set extending through the said cover member and resting on the bottom of the water trough and being perforated within the region of the said trough, vertically extending water chambers radially disposed extending from and in communication with the innermost set of water tubes, a duplicate upper perforated cover member to which the said water-tubes at their upper ends are afiixed,

a hot water and steam chamber mounted on the said upper cover and in communication with the said water-tubes, and a shell surrounding the outermost set of water-tubes.

4. A water-tube boiler having a combustion chamber, an inlet water trough having a central opening, the said trough being proximate to and supported by the said combustion chamber, a plurality of adjacent sets-of Water-tubes substantially concentrically arranged, the said water-tubes being spaced and increasing in diameter from the innermost to the outermost set and communicating with the said inlet trough, a perforated cover member for the said water trough to which the said water-tubes at their lower ends are afiixed, tubes from an intermediate set extending through the said cover member and resting on the bottom of the water trough and being perforated within the region of the said trough, vertically extending water chambers radially disposed extending from and in communication with the innermost set of water-tubes, a duplicate upper perforated cover member to which the said water-tubes at their upper ends are affixed, a set of supporting water tubes between and aiiixed to the cover members forwardly thereof and affixed to perforations thereat, spaced water chambers afiixed to and communicating with the said supporting water-tubes, a hot water and steam chamber mounted on the said upper cover andin communication with the said water-tubes, and a shell extending from and to the peripheries 'of the cover members.

CARL POST BUTLER. 

